Meet Shalia T. DeShields

Shalia is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Pennsylvania. Currently she provides counseling to several schools in Delaware County. Prior to taking on the counseling position in the schools, Shalia, has worked in the behavior health field since 2012. In 2015, she became a Behavior Specialist Consultant and currently maintains that position. Shalia earned her Bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University and her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling from Eastern University. Afterwards, Shalia sought after and earned her Licensed Professional Counselor certification in 2018. Additionally, Shalia has clinical experience in Drug & Alcohol as well as group counseling.

A little about your clinician. Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Shalia knew first hand what it was like to live in the hood. Life was definitely not easy for her and her family; Shalia's mother, being a single parent, struggled.. like many others. Shalia encountered many challenges throughout her life. For example, she found herself in many peer conflicts and causing ruckus in her neighborhood and schools. However, a complicated and complex childhood did not deter Shalia, as she was determined to do better and be a better person, student, friend and most importantly daughter. In doing so, Shalia took, what she would call "A journey" to getting to know herself and understanding her behavior. That meant being completely truthful about many things in order to release the thoughts and feelings attached.

Therapy Authentically was created to help those identify and overcome whatever that thing (or those things) that is holding them back from being the best version of themselves. As human beings, we carry around the weight  of many burdens from many stages and aspects of our lives. But what if we didn't? What if they did not have to be weighed down? Can you imagine how freeing that would feel? Though one could never be free from adversity, it doesn't have to feel like suffering. By facing some challenges head on, Shalia was able to walk a more authentic path.